Speak
unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them
throughout their generations fringes in the corners of their garments,
and that they put with the fringe of each corner a thread of blue. And
it shall be unto you for a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and
remember all the commandments of the LORD, and do them; and that ye go
not about after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye use to
go astray(Bamidbar 15:38-39)
Upon hearing the above verses
read from the Torah on Shabbat Parshat Shlach, many people are inspired
to strengthen their connection to the mitzvah of tzitzit. Our Sages
went so far as to expound upon the verse: “This is my God and I will
enshrine Him [ve’anveihu], be adorned [hitna’eh]
before Him with commandments, make before Him…beautiful tzitzit…”
(Shabbat 133b). It is also one of the few mitzvahs where the reason is
given alongside the commandment.
For those who would like to
fulfill the mitzvah of tzitzit with techelet, we are offering a special
sale in conjunction with the P’til Tekhelet Association. If you purchase
one or two sets of Ptil Tekhelet tzitzit strings, go ahead and add a cotton or wool garment free of charge. Just enter coupon code TKHLTAL
at the end of the checkout process, and you will only be charged for
the Ptil Tekhelet strings (up to two). We’ll even do the tying free of
charge!
Most online tzitzit vendors that sell blue threads, either Radzyn or Ptil Tekhelet (Murex trunculus) sell only all blue strings. But we also offer them with half blue/half white strings. This option tends to confuse our customers a bit. Here’s a recent inquiry on the topic:
I would like to order tzitzit strings for my son’s bar mitzvah. He
wants 1 blue thread. Do I order the Radzin Techelet Tzitzit Strings, 4
blue and 12 white, thin strings, all blue strings? Thank you! – Celia
When
tying tzitzit, you always start with four strings on each corner. After
you insert them, you even up the sides, tie a double knot and then get
started tying the tzitzit according to whichever custom you follow.
So a lot of people get the idea there are eight strings on each corner. You see eight dangling down, but they are really four.
The
question is does he want one whole blue string or one half blue string
on each corner. If you use a whole blue string, in the end you see six
white and two blue. If you use a half-blue, half-white, then in the end
you see seven white and one blue.
Six
white and two blue is more common. Many Sephardim and Chassidim who
follow the Arizal and/or Rambam may go with seven white/one blue
instead. Tzitzit Strings>>
Converts and prospective converts sometimes sound sheepish when they ask me tallit questions, as if apologizing for not knowing how to go about buying a tallit. But the truth is for many Jews buying a tallit is a first-time experience, or it’s been so many years since they bought their last tallit that it might as well be the first time. Here’s a inquiry we received this week from a soon-to-be convert.
Hello, so I have a couple of questions, as someone converting to Orthodox Judaism, and I’m unable to find any clear answers.
1. Do I need a weekday and Shabbat Tallit?
2. I love your Hod handwoven Tallit, but noticed the sizes are limited, and I’m a size 70. I don’t know what’s normal and what’s not to wear, but I think the size would be shorter than the ones I primarily see in synagogue. What does size indicate, and why are the sizes for the handwoven tallits smaller, I.e. Not down to the back of the legs like I’ve seen.
3. Does it matter if my tzitzit have techelet or not?
Regards,
Danny
Most people have a special tallit for Shabbos, I explained to Donovan. Some people might even wear a size 60 for weekday use, to keep it manageable, and a size 70 for Shabbat, to wear it long and elegant. Or their Shabbat tallit might have a fancy atara (neckband) sewn on.
The Mishnah Berurah mentions having a special tallit for Shabbat.
Danny is right about the Hod Tallit, which is woven by hand by Maaseh Oreg. The looms used by Maaseh Oreg are only big enough to go up to a size 55.
What does size indicate? The first thing to make clear is that a size 24 or size 36 tallit is designed to be worn with all four corners in front. This is almost unheard of in Orthodox congregations. A size 45 is quite small. Size 50 is normally considered extra small, size 55 small, size 60 medium, size 70 large and size 80 extra large.
The more frum a person is the longer his tallit tends to be. So someone who is not necessarily so pious, at least outwardly, might choose a size 55 instead of a size 60, even if he’s average height, say 5’6″ to 5’8″. Or if he’s very frum, he might go with a size 70. But this is a bit of a generalization. Some people simply like it a bit long or a bit short. From a halachic perspective, a tallit just needs to be big enough to wrap around you, so arguable even a small size meets that requirement on a big wearer.
Whether to use all-white or techelet tzitzit is a very complex question that I’m not qualified to answer. And you’ll get very different answers from different people. Some are very pro-techelet, some are anti, and others are neutral.
There’s a whole lot of information online on the topic, most of it quite opinionated, as you might imagine. You can find some links at the bottom of this page.
Blue stripes are very popular on tallits, not just among bar mitzvah boys, but for adults as well. Recently we received an inquiry from a Russian groom in Germany who asked for advice on how to choose the right blue-striped tallit. I’m pasting his questions and my reply here, because I think it might be helpful to a lot of people.
In about one month from today, I am to get married in a small town in Germany and I am still looking for a proper Tallit not only for this special day, but also for the next decades of my life.
I was born in Odessa, Ukraine so I am Ashkenazi, however I have some roots who are Sephardic. Nevertheless, I consider myself as a traditional, Ashkenazi Jew.
By looking on your page and all the details and options to consider, I am basically lost and would need some guidance/recommendations 🙂
I really liked the following ones: Bnei Or Blue Medley, Blue Stripes Prima A.A. Tallit, Maalot Sky Blue, Acrylan Blue & Gold Tallit and the Tabor Tallit.
The price range varies and the choice is hard to make. Basically, I need a Tallit in size 50, which comes with a bag.
Please be so kind and advise me on which one of the above would be your #1 and #2 choices and why? Which tzitzit and which tying should I select? Thank you for your help with this, Ilja
I congratulated Ilja on the upcoming wedding, and then wrote a few words about each of the blue-striped tallit options he mentioned:
Bnei Or Blue Medley – This is a very popular tallit, but it’s fairly modern with a lot of color, and I’m wondering if a year or two down the road you might want something quieter.
Blue Stripes Prima A.A. Tallis – This is a classic.
Maalot Sky Blue – This is almost the same as the blue stripes, except that it has a lot of light blue as well, and it has the blessing embroidered on the atara (neckband).
Acrylan Blue & Gold Tallit – Not recommended. Acrylic does not look as nice as wool (all of the other tallits mentioned here are wool) and does not last as long. It’s only recommended for someone who really cannot afford a wool tallit.
Tabor Tallit – This is like the blue stripes above, except that it also has silver pinstripes and the fabric is textured, not smooth.
Hand-spun tzitzit are considered preferable to machine-spun from a halachic perspective. Thin or thick is just a matter of personal preference. If your father is Ashkenazi (and/or your rabbi), you should choose Ashkenazi tying.
As for a tallit bag, the blue-silver bag is a good match, either for the blue-striped Prima A.A. or the Tabor. And this bag is a good match for the Maalot.
A lot of people want the bag to match the tallis, but it really isn’t necessary. There are a lot of other bags that would work well with a blue-striped tallis, for example the Jerusalem in Blue, Jerusalem in Light and the Shema Yisrael.
On one hand, it’s important to try to get the right size tallit, so you don’t have to struggle to keep the tzitzit off the floor and on the other hand you don’t have a tallit that’s too small on you. Some people like a tallit that’s long and elegant, while others prefer small and easy to keep on your shoulders. Here was one inquiry from the latter type, who seems to me to be a bit extreme in his thinking.
Shalom, The Beit Yosef Tallit looks very good but I do have a couple of questions. I am 5’9″ but regardless of size charts am thinking about getting the size 45. Is that recommendable? I am looking for a “happy medium” that covers the back even if draped over the head, not a scarf type yet not the Chareidi style that typically gets very close to the floor. Thank you, Andrew
Going up a size or down a size is not a big deal. Some people think long is elegant; some people prefer it short and manageable. But the problem here is that Andrew is talking about going down at least three sizes.
I told Andrew that someone his height would normally go with a size 60 or 70. A size 55 would be more manageable and a size 50 would be very easy to wear. But a size 45 would be rinky-dink, if you ask me. Usually a size 45 is for bar mitzvah boys hovering around the 5′ mark.
If you want to be absolutely certain, I told Andrew, try to get a hold of a known size tallit and try it on. Every size down means four inches less in length. So if you try on a size 60 and see that it hangs down to mid-thigh on you, or maybe the top of your thighs, you’ll be able to picture a size 50 hanging down eight inches less than that.
A size 50 is also going to be 10 inches less across, i.e. you have five inches less tallit on each side to bunch up on your shoulders. But for most people the height (i.e. how far it drapes down in back) is the critical factor in tallit sizing.
Sometimes we get questions from mothers or grandmothers who are making a tallit on their own.
My grandson wants me to embroider the atara for him, so I need to find a tallit without an atara. Can you help? Thank you. Linda S.
I explained to Linda that it’s quite difficult to find a tallit without an atara, but quite easy to take one off. With a standard stitch cutter, it should take no more than 10-15 minutes.
We could take off the atara by request, but it might be worthwhile for you to do the work yourself. Here are two reasons:
1) You will be able to see exactly how the atara is positioned. It’s a bit counter-intuitive, because many people assume you sew the atara on the same side as the corner patches, which is not true.
2) Sometimes when you take an atara off, faint stitch marks remain on the tallit. (This depends on the type of fabric, and is not easy to predict.) You’ll want to make sure the atara you make is at least the same width and length, so that those stitch marks are covered up by the new atara. If we leave the atara on, you’ll be able to quickly measure it before starting work on your own.
